The current President of Marketing for The Walt Disney Company, Asad Ayaz, has a new hat to wear. In addition to his marketing duties for Walt Disney Studios, Ayaz will now be the first Chief Brand Officer for the studio. For his CBO responsibilities, Ayaz now reports directly to CEO Bob Iger and is tasked with managing the communication of the Disney brand and image across the wide-reaching company.
Iger announced this change April 6, 2023. In an email to all Disney staff, Iger praised Asad Ayaz for his creativity and past work while affirming his ability in this new role. Since 2018 Ayaz has handled publicity and marketing for entertainment content from The Walt Disney Company, even working on ads airing during the Super Bowl.
Ayaz’s hands have been on marketing campaigns for Marvel Studios films like Black Panther (2018), live-action Disney remakes like Aladdin (2019) and The Lion King (2019), Lucasfilms’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), and Pixar’s Toy Story 4 (2019). He also has worked on a handful of the hit Disney+ series. Forbes named him one of the Most Influential CMOs (Chief Marketing Officers) in 2022.
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Bob Iger‘s statement:
Asad is an exceptional creative leader with a deep understanding of what Disney means to millions of people around the world. His taking on this role is particularly noteworthy and consequential as we commemorate our historic 100th anniversary, and I am confident that his strategic, operational, and creative prowess, along with his profound passion for Disney, will make him an outstanding steward of our stories, characters, brands, and franchises.
Asad Ayaz’s statement:
Throughout both my early life and my time at the company, I’ve marveled at the power of Disney’s storytelling, experiences, and simply the name itself to inspire people and resonate through generations,” said Ayaz. “I am immensely grateful to Bob for entrusting me with this opportunity, and I’m excited to work with the amazing teams around our company to highlight all the things that make Disney exceptional and ensure that we continue to create those meaningful connections with audiences for many more generations to come.
It seems like a lot of responsibility for one person to juggle, but Asad Ayaz’s reputation precedes him. The public also seems to have faith in him as the first-ever Chief Brand Officer, as the majority of reactions have been positive.
He is FANTASTIC and BRILLIANT. Congratulations @asadayaz!
— Ian Grimm (@IanGrimm99) April 6, 2023
love that for him
— hausofvic (@hausofviccc) April 6, 2023
We at Disney Dining are looking forward to any new marketing and branding strategies to follow.